THE LOVELIEST THING ON EARTH 309

and change of temperature, otherwise no actors could
live in the theatre A leading part in a play worth
acting is as good as ten Turkish baths

The deluge, however, though it did not damp the
ardour of audience or actor, did pour cold water on one
of my most cherished aspirations—the building of aa
open-air theatre in London for the production of Greek
plays Not until people become once more hardened
to weather, less timorous of rain and "courants d'air,"
shall I dare try to secure fulfilment of this hope of mine

"Iphigema" is of happy omen to me of all parts I
have ever played—and they are many—hers most wins
my heart And so, when I was in America in 1915, I
found occasion to produce "Iphigenia" there

America enjoys advantages of climate, of auditorium
and, dare I say, of audience, which are denied to us
The Universities have generally a great Stadium, which
is as good for plays as it is for games The Yale Bow!,
for example, with its rising tiers of seats, can hold more
than ten thousand people I played "Iphigema" there
The stage was in the centre of the Bowl It was modelled
after the stages of the ancient Greek amphitheatres,
and made in sections so that it could be taken from
place to place Stage facing one end of the Stadium,
behind it a cluster of tents for dressing-rooms, in front
a great circular ground cloth, 100 feet in diameter,
with the conventional altar in the centre The back-
ground ^of the stage was of canvas, 100 feet wide and
40 feet Thigh, with three doors The acoustics were so
perfect that there was no need to shout or strain the
voice

The people of the United States took an absorbing
interest in the Greek plays I played there my fourth
Greek part, that of the tragic Hecuba in Eunpides*
"Trojan Women "

Paul Cravath, old and tried friend who contrives so
perfectly to combme affection of England with devotion
to America, helped the "cause" enthusiastically, passing
us along from Yale to Harvard and Philadelphia, wheie